Washing apparatus.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

H. H. SHBARD. WASHING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.18, 1907.

HARRY HITNER SHEARD, or FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

WASHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed. March 18, 1907. Serial No. 363,086.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY HITNER SHEARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Washing Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a novel washing apparatus comprising areceptacle for clothing to be washed mechanism 'for forcing steam andhot saponified water through the meshes of the garments; and a means forkeeping the water in-the receptacle always at a boiling point.

The object of the invention is'to provide a washing apparatus soconstructed that boiling soapy water is caused to travel down the sidesof the receptacle containing the clothes and through a generator wherethe temperature of the water is raised and converted into steam, and thetwo combined forced out through a suitable opening in the center of thegenerator into the bottom of the mass of clothing, and thence throughthe meshes of said clothing, by which meansa thorough cleansing isobtained.

Another object of the invention relates to a clothes pounder whichoperates on the top of the clothes moving in a vertical direction toforce steam and hot suds downwardly through the clothes to assist theupward current of the cleansing medium as it passes out of the generatorin its work of renovation.

A further object of the invention applies to the heater, which is soconstructed that a lar er percentage of heat generated by the fue is putto profitable use than is the case in heaters commonly used at thepresent time.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter describedand pointed out in the appended claims.

- Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sect'on of theinvention a portion of the clothes eceptacle being shown in elevation.Fig. 2 is a detail cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

' A heater; indicated by A sup orts on its top a washing receptacle B,wit 'n which is avertieally moving clothes pounder (Land a steamgenerator D, the latter resting on the bottom of the receptacle.

The washing or c othes receptacle B is pref- I erably circular incrosssection and wider at the cover, and a rotatabl fastening device 5 pon the front of the recep acle which may be turned to engage anddisengage the cover when it is desirable to fasten the cover on thereceptacle'or remove it. Suitable handles 6 are provided on each side ofthe receptacle for removing it from the heater or to other places, oneof which handles is shown in the drawing.

The ounder 0 comprises a truncated cone ical bo y 7 made of sheet metaland open at the bottom. Attached to its u per truncated end is an ocrating rod 8, w ch passes through a suitab e bearin 9 in the cap 3, andis pivotally attached to a lover 10, one end of which is formed into ahandle 11 while the opposite end is pivotally connected to links 12loosely connected by a pin 13 to a lug 14 attached to the top 3 at itsrear. As thus constructed, on moving the handle in a vertical directionthe o eratin rod 8 will slide up and down throng the b aring 9,imparting its motion to the body 7 of the clothes pounder. The lowerportion-of the operating rod 8 is made hollow, and communicates throughan opening 15 with the. interior IOf the receptacle. A valve 16 issupported by a cage 17 in a suitable position to close the passagebetween the head 7 and the operatmg rod 8. Within the head 7 andsupported by hangers 18 is an. inverted frusto-conical tube 19 throughwhich water is forced down to the clothes when the lever is depressed.

The generator D consists of a narrow ring 20 of sheet metal providedwith erforations 21, the said ring being vertica y disposed and having adiameter slightly less than thereceptacle B. A low conical cover 22 issecured to the up er edge of the ring 20 and at the a ex of sal cover,which is open, a short tubu ar neck 23 is attached.

The operation of the apparatus as thus far described is as follows: Thefastening device 5 is turned and thBf 00VeI 3 with the clothes pounder,C, lever 10 and links 12 attached, removed from,the receptacle. Thegenerator D if not already in place is put in the re- I ceptacle andthen the clothes to bewashed with a suitable quantity of water and soap,or soapy water if preferred, and then the cover with its attachmentsreturned to place and locked by the fastening 5. It is advisable thatthe cover fit the receptacle steam tight to prevent any loss of water.Heat is now applied to the bottom of the receptacle and the temperatureof the water raised to boiling point. As the tem erature of the Waterrises it will pass out t irough the neck 23' of the enerator D into thecenter of the mass of cfothes, cooler water in the meantime pas'singdown the sides of the receptacle and through the o enings 21 into thegenerator. As the boi ing proceeds the handle 1 1 is operated to raiseand lower the pounder C the result of this operation is to force hotsoapy water mixed with steam down through the clothes in opposition tothe water and steam rising from the generator. Whenthe head 7 of thepounder is raised, the valve 16 therein falls and permits steam to enterthe openings 15 and pass down the hollow rod 8 into the head 7 andfrusto conical tube 19. The return or downward stroke closes the valveand forces the water between the head 7 and frusto conical tube 19 upand over the edge of said tube where it mixes with the steam enteringthrough the valve opening and the combined steam and hotwater is forceddownwardly in the condenser and out through its constricted end. Theoperation being similar to that of pumping.

The heater A which forms a part of theserving as the fire box and thelower one the ash pit, in which an ash pan may be placed. The fire box29 is provided with a door 31 through which fuel is fed, this door ispreferably hinged to the front plate. Sliding doors 32 close the rear ofthe ash pit 30, which, when opened, permit the ash pan to be insertedand removed. The sliding doors 32 are provided with a sliding damper 33to regulate the back draft while asimilar damper 34411 the front plateregulates the draft at the front of the fire box. A skirt 35 providedwith perforations 36 is fitted within the bottom of the heater A andforms the base therefor.

Betweenthe grate 28 and the top of the furnace is placed ahorizontaldeflector plate 37 attached to the rear and side plates of the furnaceand extending from the rear plate 26 wardly a short distance beyond thecenter of the heater. The top of the plate 37 is approximately on a linewith the bottom of a smoke flue 38 to which is attached a pipe 39 forcarrying off the products of combustion. The object of the plate 37 isto cause the heat generated at the rear of the furnace to pass forwardlybeneath the plate and then over it to the flue 38 and smoke pipe 39 sothat the entire amount of heat produced by the fuel will pass under andpractically in contact with the bottom of the clothes receptacle B, noneof the heat being lost by a direct passage to the flue 38. The top ofthe heater A projects a short distance above the flue 38 and ispreferably circular in shape with outwardly flaring sides into which thebottom of the clothes receptacle B is placed. The flaring top 40 ofthchcateris lined with a sheet metal collar 41 projecting above theflaring top and finished oil' with a roll 42.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A clotheswashing apparatus comprising a clot-hes receptacle, a tight covertherefor, a

generator within the receptacle of slightly less diameter, having anarrow perforated vertical flange attached to a conical cap and with anopeningat its apex surrounded by a short tubular neck, said tube adaptedto convey hot water and steam from the generator upwardly into thecenter of the clothes to be washed, and a pounder adapted to bereciprocated in a v rtical direction for forcing steam and hot waterdowim'ardly through the clothes.

2. A clothes washing apparatus comprising a receptacle for clothes, aremovable steam tight cover therefor, a generator within and at thebottom of said receptacle having a conical top with an opening in itsapex surrounded by a short tubular neck, said tube adapted to conveysteam and hot water upwardly into the center of the clothes to bewashed, and a vertically reciprocating pounder having a hollow conicalhead attached at its smaller end to a hollow operating'rod opening intosaid head and into the receptacle through a perforation above said headand a valve in the head arranged to close its smaller end when thepounder de scends to push water and steam through the clothes, and toopen when the pounder is raised to permit the inflow of air and steamthrough said perforation into the pounder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto a'fixedmy signature

